Ready for the climb

All my stuff are packed and ready to go. I hope i didnt forget any important gear. I still have to go to work tomorrow until 6 PM. Bus leaves for Aritao at 9:00 PM. I hope there is no traffic or else i will miss the bus. My companions have already taken their leave tomorrow so they have a lot of time to prep. As for me, if I happen to forget something tomorrow, i will have to buy it.

The mountain we will be climbing is called Palali. It is in the heart of my home province of Nueva Vizcaya. The mountain is not very well known. Unlike its neighbors, Pulag and Ugo, Palali is seldom climbed by recreational mountaineers and its forests remain pristine and its flora and fauna largely unexplored. We are set to climb it on the morning of Feb 2. The plan is to have breakfast at our house in Aritao, prep our stuff, and leave that which isnt needed, then go to Solano, then to Quezon.

Members of team Palali are, Mike, Joy, Worthy, and Anne. Plus our guide Roldan Mina. That makes 5 of us. Of course in this climb i will be taking the lead role. I am excited and nervous at the same time. Nervous in the sense that I can never account for the unknown. If something bad happens, its all on me. Excited, because i can finally climb the mountain of my dreams.

I hope i can document the hike. The goal is to establish the trail and put it on the map. As for the hidden gems in Palali, i plan to let them be hidden. I already have a vague idea of the general direction we will be taking in climbing Palali. General direction would be Southeast. The terrain can be seen on google maps and i can somewhat figure out where the campsite will be and where it is possible to pass with least resistance and shorter distance. I will find out on Saturday if indeed i was able to plot the trail correctly. I still have to print a map.

I'll be posting updates and hopefully pictures by Monday next week. I was joking a while ago about updating my last will and testament. I dont plan on dying up there, but you never know, but there is one thing i know, God will keep us safe. He will be our guide, and He will allow us to enjoy the wonder and beauty of His creation.

Banknotes: Overprint Commemorative Notes

Its not just coins that have commemorative versions, banknotes also have commemorative issues. Unlike coins, commemorative banknotes are usually ordinary banknotes with additional prints on them. These prints, called overprints, makes the note a collector's item. For Philippine banknotes, the overprint is usually found in the unprinted portion. Its usually commemorates and events, anniversaries or institutions, and notable meetings.

Below are some of the overprint banknotes I have collected recently. Some of my other overprint banknotes are in the province.

The Philippines
Founding member of ASEAN

ASEAN Commemorative 50 peso bill

"GRAND LODGE OF FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS"
100 YEARS
"IN THE LORD IS ALL OUR TRUST"

Free Masons Commemorative 100 Peso Bill

And of course we all know of this one.

So there you have it. Commemorative banknotes. I'll update this entry once I get my other overprint bills.

Enjoy!

Coin Collection: Trivia about the Philippine 5 Peso Coin

The current Philippine 5 peso coin was first minted in 1995. This replaced the 5 peso bill and the 5 Peso coin of the Improved Flora and Fauna Series. It has a rather simple design and its not a very fancy coin.

 



One interesting fact about the current 5 peso coin is that during 1997 and 1998, some of the 5 peso coins were minted in the Royal Canadian Mint. Oh yes. That would mean that our coins with the year mark 1997 and 1998 are imported. However, not all 1997 and 1998 5 peso coins were minted at the RCM. How can you tell whether or not a 5 peso coin from 1997 or 1998 was made in RCM? Look at the following photos.

The 1997 coin in this photo was minted at the RCM.
Aside from the year mark, what else is different between the two coins?
If you will notice, the 2005 coin has Bangko Sentral's mint mark below Aguinaldo's shoulder.
The 1997 coin has no mint mark.

1997 coins minted at the Royal Canadian Mint (RCM).
These coins are very common and can be easily found in circulation.

A 1998 5 peso coin from RCM surrounded by new, 2011, 1 peso coins.
This is another very common coin in circulation  that is plentiful.

Isn't it cool? The next time you spend a 5 peso coin, check the year mark. You never know, you could be spending an imported coin.

Enjoy!

Coin Collection: Updated Philippines English Series Coins

Finally my Philippine English series coins from 1958 is complete. I have finally put together coins from the year 1958, the first minting year of these coins. My first post regarding these coins can be found in the link below.

Philippine Coins: English Series

Now some photos of the all 1958 Philippine English Series coins.

I did not include the reverse photos anymore since you can view that in my previous entry about the English Series coins.

Enjoy!

GEAR hunting: A day with my fiance

My fiance and I went on our gear hunting today. We went looking for gear we can use in our upcoming hike this weekend in my home province. While waiting for her at farmers plaza, she sent me a text telling me she forgot her wallet. She asked if she could go back to get her wallet at her apartment, but I convinced her not to. That would mean that i would be spending for all our purchases, but I didn't mind. She is after all my fiance.

We checked out the thrift stores beside farmers and gateway mall. The first store we went into was huge. Lots of clothes and shoes, bags and accessories all over the place. We spent our time there until 12:30. We checked almost every line of clothes. Eventually we found ourselves in the jacket section and we saw lots of great finds. Joy, my fiance, was so frustrated when she found a really cool jacket that couldn't fit her. We eventually found 3 really nice jackets that fit her, but then again she wanted all three jackets. I was able to convince her to just get one. Whew! that was close. Even though the jackets are affordable, its would have been unwise to buy a lot of jackets. Then we moved on to the jogging pants section and she got 2 pairs for herself. Lunch was next in order as it was already past 12 noon.

After a hearty meal, we went to this other thrift store. Not very big, but they had better selections. I was able to get pants for my friend Worthy. I just hope it fits him. On to another thrift store where i got myself a jacket and a dry fit shirt. At this point i was beginning to tire. It was almost 5 PM. We dropped by cubao expo next and we found these stores selling really old stuff and now we were in coin hunting mode. Unfortunately, only one store sold old coins. We rummaged through their collection of really beat up coins. They were not that old, but i was able to find a coin to complete my 1958 Philippines English series coins. It was the fifty centavo coin. Joy, however, collected old tokens that were used in the arcade during the past decade. She was very delighted to see an LRT token. All in all she got 8 token and 1 coin, while i just got 1 coin. I paid 20 pesos per piece which was a relatively fair price.

The sun was setting and my fiance already noticed i was tired. We stopped by a convenience store for some water then we headed into the mall to check out backpacks. I was able to get her a new mountaineering backpack for a relatively affordable price, but its the most expensive item we bought today. She was very happy which made me very happy. She said she enjoyed hunting with me, which made my heart melt. Awww!

Eventually it was time to go home and we parted ways. I am now currently entering this blog as i wait for my coin to get cleaned. I soaked the coin in soapy water to get rid if the dirt and grime it had accumulated over the years. After posting this, i will go check on my coin, clean it up and get it in my album.

It was a great day! Man! it beats those movie dates me and my fiance usually have. Maybe next time we can go look for new hunting grounds.

Thanks for a great day sweetheart! Next time we can go hunting in Las Pinas. Love you!

GEAR Hunting

As a mountaineer, i want my apparel to be really durable, but i also dont want to spend over 1000 pesos for a pair of pants or leggings. Come on! My alternative in acquiring really nice, branded, and almost new mountaineering gear is the Ukay-Ukay.

Tomorrow, my fiance and I will be trolling the streets of cubao for ukay-ukay shops to look for those elusive mountaineering apparel for a fraction of the price. I have had quite a bit of luck in ukay-ukay shops before. I found mountaineering pants, a long sleeve top, a fleece jacket, and a shirt. They are all branded, but i will not mention their brands here for secrecy purposes. If the sellers knew we were after specific brands, they would jack up the prices and they will once again become elusive items.

My hunting list for tomorrow,

1. Pants/convertibles
2. Long sleeve hiking top
3. Jacket/lightweight, packable, and provides good insulation for its weight.
4. Gloves

Wish us luck. In case we get any, I'll try to post an update and probably show you some pics with the brand names edited off the pictures. Woohoo! Cant wait!

Coin Collecting: How I got started.

It was sometime during the late 80's, I don't recall the exact year, when i started collecting coins. I was a little boy then and had no knowledge of proper coin storage and handling. Now I have gained more knowledge in handling and storing coins because of the ready info online. I have just recently rekindled this hobby of mine having stopped for many years since going to college back in 1998. When i look back, i can still remember how it all started. How one coin would start me on a road to collecting currencies and other stuff.

I remember one afternoon sometime during the late 80's that I got my very first coin. My grandmother's friend came by the house. I don't recall why she was there, but I do recall her reaching into her purse for money and out came a piece of cloth. She unwrapped the cloth and there was the largest coin I have ever seen. With eyes wide open, I stared at this round metal disc with images alien to me. When my parents saw my reaction, they knew that i had to have the coin. They asked of they can trade for the coin. As they were talking, i heard the word USA and i knew the coin was American. The prevailing exchange rate back then was 20 pesos to a dollar. My parents exchanged 20 pesos for me to have that huge US dollar coin. As i held  the coin in my hand the first thing i saw was an eagle apparently landing on the moon. The other side was the head of a man. I wasn't well versed with American history so i didn't know who that was. The year on the coin was 1972. From then on, i started collecting coins. Old local coins, foreign coins, old bills, etc. My collection grew, but i didn't know of proper way to store and handle coins so i kept them in one box. As time passed by, of course the coins that were shiny became dull and scratched. My first coins covered by new additions and stayed under the pile for a long time.

A decade down the road and I would stop collecting. Another decade would pass by until my interest in coin collecting would be rekindled. Whenever i get home to the province, i rummage through my old box of coins and look for my very first coin. I would hold it in my hand, do a couple of coin tosses, and put it back in the box. Its now a dull coin with lots of scratches, but its still my very first coin which started me on coin collecting

I will be going back to the province next weekend. This time, i wont be leaving my collection behind like i use to whenever i came back to the city. This time, i will be bringing them all with me. Its time I treated my collection properly.

In case you were wondering, my 1972 coin, is the "Dwight D. Eisenhower Dollar".

Enjoy!

Update:
I recently found out that there are three types of Eisenhower Dollars. The typing has something to do with the earth on the reverse of the coin. I am now very much excited to get back to the province and check my Ike Dollar. I am hoping its type 2. And if it is, it just became the most expensive coin in my collection.

The Journey To Skyworld

"Four would be "maharlikas" are about to embark on a journey to scale the heights and try to catch a glimpse of the skyworld. The journey will only take but a few hours, but it will be the hardest journey. Little is known about this window to skyworld known as Palali. The steps will be treacherous, the way will be riddled with innumerable dangers, led by the keeper of the path known only as Roldan, will the four "maharlikas" reach their destination? Will they really catch a glimpse of the skyworld?"

Nice intro to an epic myth right? Not! I'm just really excited to finally be able to climb one of the mountains I have been longing to climb for three years. I cant wait to experience the trail, the forest, the flora and fauna of the little known mountain in my home province. They say the weather is unpredictable, and they are right. I should know because i have lived in that province for most of my life. The weather there is somewhat close to Baguio at this time of year.

I will be bringing along my fiance, a friend of mine and his friend. Together we will tread the trail not often trod to get to the top of a mountain most people haven't climbed. Its a privilege to climb this mountain and i consider it an honor as a Novo Vizcayano to be able to stand atop its peak.

"Wait for us skyworld, you sons and daughters long to see your golden gates!"

Coin Grading

For the professional coin collector, coin grading is an indispensable part of collecting and keeping numismatic items. Coin grading allows one to gauge the condition of the coin and determine the worth of the coin and its collectability factor. A graded coin is more expensive than an ungraded coin of the same quality. Coin grading takes skill, years of practice, and lots of experience in looking at coins and related materials. 

Various companies offer grading service. Among the most famous in the world are PCGS and NGS in the United States. I do not know if there are any local coin grading services here in the Philippines so all of my coins are ungraded. I could grade them on my own, but my grade would be biased since the coins are personally mine and being objective about the grade would be difficult. However, coin grading is a rather relative art. The same coin may be graded differently depending on who is grading the coin.

In my search for a guide on how to grade coins, I found a video on YouTube that gives a simple overview on how one can grade coins based on the international scale of coin grading. Please note that I do not own this video and I am posting this for information only.

This video is owned by Silveragecoins.com.

Enjoy!

ASEAN Commemorative 50 peso bill

I found this 50 peso bill in our change when my friends and I had lunch at KFC yesterday. Its the old 50 peso design with the seal of ASEAN on it. A friend of mine commented that I am quick to notice these things and I just smiled in satisfaction for finding this bill.

This bill commemorates the Philippines being one of the founding members of ASEAN.

Close up of ASEAN logo.
(Association of Southeast Asian Nations)

I wont be spending this bill anymore and its been added to my collection. OK maybe I'll spend it when i am in a dire financial situation, but for now, its safely stored in my collection.

Enjoy!

Coin Collecting: The Hobby of Kings

During the renaissance, coin collecting was not for everyone. During these times, only the privileged had the means to collect monetary items such as coins. The ordinary citizen didn't have the luxury to keep coins as a collection. One would rather spend it on food and other necessities. The probable reason why coin collecting back then was only for the rich is the content of the coins themselves. Gold and silver were the metals used for very early coins which meant they were rather few and had great value for its relative size. The value of the coin was dictated by its weight in gold or silver. even in today's standards, one would have to be very rich to be able to collect gold.

Today, coin collecting has become a hobby, not only for kings, but for the ordinary people as well. Now, everyone can be a collector of currencies because much has changed in how coins are  made and how they are used. Today, coins are made from cheap metals like aluminum, brass, nickel, and stainless steel for those in normal circulation. The metals used are not very valuable themselves. You cant melt our coins today to make higher value coins. These have a numerical value equivalent or what is called face value and has nothing to do with the value of the metal used to make them. The introduction of paper money was also a game changer in collecting coins and currencies because paper, compared to gold and other metals, is relatively cheap to produce. When currencies get demonetized, they would lose their value and just become useless pieces of metals and paper. Unlike if we still used gold for coins, our money would never get demonetized because gold in itself, coin or not, is very valuable.

If you want to start you own coin collection, start with what you have in your pocket. Check your old piggy banks and forgotten nooks and crannies of your grandparents' house. More often than not you will find old collectibles in these places. Ask friends and family members for old demonetized currencies they don't want anymore. Go to coin trader shops and rummage through their bargain bins. Ask experts and do some research. You can specify your collection to only local coins, or coins of a specific year or a specific series.

 Despite coin collecting becoming an ordinary mans hobby, it has become more complex. Collecting now goes beyond just keeping the coins, it means maintaining the coins condition and appeal, protecting them from the environment, and having to spend a small fortune in albums and display cases for your coins. The coins may have been demonetized, but their collectors value will become higher just because the bank doesn't make them anymore. Prices for out of production coins, especially the old ones, depend more on how much you are willing to pay to have one in your collection rather than how valuable the metal content is. I remember buying a Pilipino series 1 peso coin (1972), for 50 pesos. That's 50 times its face value just because they don't make them anymore. It would have bee much more expensive of the coin was in mint condition. Coin collecting is a great hobby, you cant beat the satisfaction you get when you find that elusive coin you've always wanted.

It may have been a hobby of the kings in the past, but today, anyone can be a king of this hobby.

Enjoy!

Coin Collection: Improved Flora and Fauna

I remember back in the 90's, there was a time when we started opening all our coin banks and started depositing our savings in the bank. During this time the coins in our "piggy banks" were the Philippine Flora and Fauna series coins. It made me curious why we started opening all our coin banks so I asked my parents why we were counting all our money and they just told me that the government is going to change our money. Initially, I thought that the government was really going around changing peoples money to new and shiny ones. Little did I know that the government was going to demonetize the current series.

It was 1991 when Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas started minting the new series. I don't recall the first time I saw the new coins, but I do remember commenting that the government shrunk our coins. The 5 peso coin was reintroduced in this series and I remember liking this coin because it was thick and heavy. It was also made of brass so the color intrigued me during the time. I even thought it was made of gold. I wasn't particularly fond of the new series of coins and it wasn't long until the government again changed the coins, back in 1995, to a new series which we still use to this day.

I have completed the Improved flora and fauna series thanks to my cousins donation. He gave me his 1991, 5 peso coin and 25 centavo coin. All my coins in this series are from the original minting year of 1991. These coins were minted until 1994. The 1, 5, and 10 centavos were retained from the original flora and fauna series so I didn't include them here.

25 SENTIMO
This was really small compared to the original. One can easily lose this coin.

25 SENTIMO REVERSE
It retained its original design it was just smaller.
This was donated by my cousin, Darryll Biscaro.

50 SENTIMO OBVERSE
The original was nickel. This one is made of brass. The size is almost the same as the 25 sentimo.
People sometimes accidentally interchange the two coins when giving out change.

50 SENTIMO REVERSE
The eagle is still there. Same design. No mint errors this time around.

1 PISO OBVERSE
Same design just smaller in size.

1 PISO REVERSE
The tamaraw is still there. One thing I observed when this came out was that it sticks to magnets.
Apparently, the metal was changed to stainless steel. I don't know if it was really stainless,
because I remember seeing rusted coins at home.

2 PISO OBVERSE
This one had a major change. Its no longer the decagon shaped coin we once knew.
It was changed to round and size was reduced, but the design remains the same.

2 PISO REVERSE
Yup! this is the coconut where you can tie the tamaraw from the 1 PISO to make 3 PISO.
If you didn't find that funny, you have no sense of humor.
Even though the size was reduced, the detail on the coconut is still amazing.

5 PISO OBVERSE
This was the new coin of the series. Of the coins in this series, this has to be my favorite.
It looked like a shiny gold coin to me back then. I even had the idea that it might be made
out of real gold. It turns out there is 0 gold in this coin.

5 PISO REVERSE
It took me a while to finally realize that the plant on this coin our national tree, the Nara.
Those are its leaves and seed pods on the coin.
Thanks to my cousin, Darryll, for donating this coin to my collection.

There you have it. The Improved Flora and Fauna series coins of the Philippines. Personally, the only improvement in this series is the 5 Peso coin. These coins are not rare. They can be easily acquired from coin shops at a very cheap price. In my set, none of the coins were purchased because they are still common that one can find these in old coin banks. Check your old coin banks, you may even have a complete 1991 series in pristine condition. As time goes by, of course these will eventually become rare. So if you have one that looks new, keep it. Or you can donate it to my collection. I would gladly accept it.

Enjoy!

A Coin I wish I had

Last night while photographing myself making my DIY coin holder, my cousin showed me their collection of old coins. One that stood out was a Philippine coin from the commonwealth series (1937 - 1945). It was a fifty centavo coin dated 1944. I read from somewhere that these coins were minted in Manila, Denver, San Francisco, and Philadelphia. Of course, for one to know where the coin was minted you had to look at the reverse of the coin. If you see a letter M, its minted in Manila, D for Denver, and S for San Francisco, no mint mark meant it was minted in Philadelphia. As I was inspecting the coin I didn't see any mint marks or at least there aren't any mint marks and concluded it was from Philadelphia. I offered to make a holder for the coin.

Fifty Centavos
Philippine-American Commonwealth (1944)
OBVERSE

Fifty Centavos
Philippine-American Commonwealth (1944)
REVERSE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
The mint mark may have rubbed off from the coins use.

Its a beautiful coin and yes I cleaned it which is a big NO NO for very old and rare coins, but since I figure my cousin will just keep this and not sell it, why not clean it for his enjoyment. He said he found this somewhere during his childhood. Its made of silver, 75% of it at least. I wish I had this in my collection. Commonwealth coins of UNC grade usually sell for thousands here. Buying a very expensive coin is not an option for me. I can only afford coins from the bargain bin. I do recall having a commonwealth coin in my collection back in the province, but I don't remember it being silver.

Enjoy!

DIY Coin Holder (2x2 Card Holder)

Supplies for coin collectors are not readily available where I come from. Most, if not all, supplies for the local coin collector here in the Philippines are imported from other countries and come with a premium. Its really a challenge to find a ready made coin holder made specifically for local coins. Most supplies i have seen online are for US coins that can be used for some of the local size coins.

A coin holder is a 2X2 piece of card with one edge closed and folded over. It has a plastic lining and serves to protect the coins from fingerprints and dirt. I was able to make my own coin holders from locally available materials from the local office supply store. Please note that i have not tested any of the materials for any compounds that might be harmful to coins, which means my holders do not conform with numismatic standards in coin storage and should not be used for high value coins.

Disclaimer: Please follow these instructions at your own risk. I will not be held responsible for any accident or injury you may sustain while doing this DIY project.

Lets get started. First of all, you need to prepare your materials.

• MATERIALS AND TOOLS

1. A coin

2. Poster board
These come in large sheets. You will need to cut them to size.

3. Transparency

4. Scissors, stencil knife, pencil

5. Cutting board and flat clinch stapler

• PROCEDURE

Step 1.
Cut the poster board and transparency to 2 x 4 inch size pieces.

Step 2a.
Fold the poster board crosswise with the white side out.
You will end up with a 2x2 square.

Step 2b.
Fold the transparency crosswise.
You will end up with a 2x2 square.

Step 3.
Take your coin and center it on the folded poster board and trace the coin.
Use an old coin of the same size to do this so that you wont have smudges on your subject coin.

Step 4.
Cut the traced circle using a stencil knife.
Be careful not to cut yourself.

Cut the board through and through.

Step 5.
Insert the folded transparency into the folded poster board.
Make sure closed ends are on the same side.
You now have a coin holder.
Take your coin and carefully center the coin in the holder then fold.

Step 6.
Align the coin such that the top should be at the folded side of the holder.

Step 7.
Take you flat clinch stapler and staple the 4 sides close to the coin.

You will end up with something like this.
The four staplers near the coin are usually enough.
I just like to add extra to flatten the holder.
You will notice some excess transparency protruding from the holder.

The back side. Notice how the staplers are flat instead of the normal arch?
Although normal staplers will do, it's best to get yourself a flat clinch stapler
so that you can have a flatter coin holder that is easy to insert in coin albums.

Step 8.
Take your scissors and cut the protruding transparency.

Step 9.
Take a pen and label you coin holder.

I usually label my coins this way.
Upper left is year of minting.
Top center is the series (Optional)
Lower left is the face value of  the coin.
Lower right is the country of origin.

Another example of how I label my coins. You may do so differently.
As far as i know, there is no standard for labeling.
Notice how the cut out is larger than the coin?
Sometimes I like to do it this way.
It allows me to see the edges of the coin and not just the faces.
Just use a larger coin to trace the circle.

I don't label the back side, unless there is something about the back that needs noting.

And you are done! Congratulations in making you own coin holder!

Please leave your comments and suggestions below. My procedure is in no way perfect and i am open to your suggestions.

Enjoy!